4x5 Peelapart Instant Film and other Large Format Photographic topics.

Friday, October 18, 2013

Sam Hiser visits New55

Friend, fellow collaborator, New55 and large format enthusiast Sam Hiser joined Alex Milne and me for a day of review of the New55 project, and its possible trajectory.

We had time to try something new: A New55 PN using Tri-X. Yes, the stuff from Kodak. Don't get too excited, but it does work to some extent, yielding what we think is an ISO of about 200ish. Click on the image for a bigger view. This PN produced a sepia positive that was a bit excessive but might be corrected. The negative is dense, scanned fairly well, and isn't blocked up in the highlights.

If you have a chance to try Stone's Inn in Ashland MA, do so. This certified haunted pub has a great lunch menu.

13 comments:

David Bailey said that, no matter what films he ever tried out, he always went back to Tri-X.

This portrait, Bob, this collaboration between you (Matthew Brady) and Alex (the camera operator), features a hat. A moment I'll treasure; but nonetheless another picture of a hat. Geoff Dyer would chuckle about that.

And Geoff would also enjoy something you said: 'We're here together at the start of Analogue Photography.'

I know it's a long process, but I would love to start on some of this, using it I mean, just get a first run batch out there at least, even if it's a limited run, kodak looks like it's recovering and just to use some would be awesome.

Please, learn from TIP, stop trying to make it "perfect" and just make SOME available...

Even if you have to say "this isn't the final version, but it will help fund further research" just let us use some, I've been chomping at the bit waiting for this, bought a 4x5 early just so I would be prepared for when you guys came out with the first run (that was supposed to be over a year ago) and since then just waiting.

Please, learn from TIP, stop trying to make it "perfect" and just make SOME available...

Even if you have to say "this isn't the final version, but it will help fund further research" just let us use some, I've been chomping at the bit waiting for this, bought a 4x5 early just so I would be prepared for when you guys came out with the first run (that was supposed to be over a year ago) and since then just waiting.

We've been to TIP (and posted about here) and TIP has visited us. The similarities are not very numerous, though we share a common purpose. Perfect is not our goal - manufacturable, sustainable, financable - these are. I run a successful manufacturing company today and we have a good track record of new product introductions, and know from experience what it takes to commercialize a globally sold product. I don't mind your whining - far from it, look at it as one more hungry mouth. Without repeating everything, there has to be a large enough number of people who will pay a per-shot price of $6 each, and that has not been established.

I think you know there is a difference between getting an assembly line together along with a few runs of sheets and getting into position to keep doing it in a sustained way. And to do it for a handful of other countries too -- which is critical, considering our small niche.

Hopefully the initial response from 4x5 users will be so emphatic that we can get into position to develop color and other formats which, together, will support the effort at a proper and flexible size so it doesn't go away. -Sam